FIXTURE LIST

Gary Keward brings the game of Ice Hockey back to Nottingham after 20 years.

The world's fastest team sport returned to Nottingham for the first time since 1960. The first game saw Panthers defeat the Solihul Barons 7-4 in an exciting game. The crowd for that first game was almost 1,000 and it was a nostalgic evening for team coach Les Strongman, one of the original Panthers from the 40's.
In the Panthers first incarnation the league was made up almost totally of Canadians playing two line hockey. Now most of the players were British boys who had been playing the game for just a few years at the Silver Blades rink in Sheffield, their games drawing perhaps 150 spectators, friends and relations. Suddenly they were thrown under the public spotlight, but unlike some of the opposition who literally froze when stepping onto the ice, they stood up well to the new found fame and adoration.
To help them through the first season Keward recruited right wing Paul O'Higgins and veteran goalie Dave Randall from Solihul, American defenceman Ken Taggart from Avon Arrows and Mark Kasun, a Canadian oil-rigger living locally. Another Solihul recruit was Canadian Gilles L'Esperence but his appearances although spiced with goals were hampered by his study at a Birmingham college and he eventually disappeared from the scene. Two further recruits, brothers Tim and Jon Ingram, were brought in. Although Jon, an uncompromising defenceman, only stayed a few weeks, his brother made more of an impact. Starting his Panthers career on the third forward line, Tim was quickly converted to a goalie after showing his skills in practice. Another mid season recruit was Tim Peacock, from troubled Northern League side Ayr Bruins, who soon showed his goalscoring skills with two against Oxford in his first game. Another recruit arrived in strange circumstances, Doug Withenshaw simply rang Gary Keward to tell him he was coming, although no-one knew if he could play, joined up with the team at Solihul and scored a goal in the team's 4-0 win.